SOMA Exotic Pet Sitter
SOMA — South of Market — is the tech and startup heart of San Francisco, a district of dense high-rise condos and converted lofts stacked between the Embarcadero, Oracle Park, Yerba Buena, and the Moscone Center, with the Caltrain terminus anchoring the southern edge at 4th & King. It is a neighborhood built for people who move fast: young professionals in glass-tower apartments, founders and engineers who travel for work at a moment’s notice, and renters who have learned that a low-footprint pet fits city life far better than a dog that needs a backyard. That is exactly why so many SOMA homes house a bearded dragon under a UVB lamp, a leopard gecko in a tidy terrarium, or a bonded pair of guinea pigs on a C&C grid. And when a trip or a conference comes up, the question that surfaces the night before is always the same: who is going to take care of the exotics? Conventional boarding kennels are built for dogs and cats, and most pet sitters have never checked a reptile enclosure’s humidity or weighed a guinea pig on a gram scale. That is the gap our team fills.
House of Guineas Pet Care is based right here in San Francisco, in the Inner Sunset, which makes SOMA a quick, same-city trip for us. We come to your pets so they can stay in their own enclosures, on their own routines, in the home they already know — whether you are in a high-rise condo near the Embarcadero, a loft off Folsom or Bryant, or a building a few blocks from the Caltrain station at 4th & King.
Why SOMA Exotic Pet Parents Choose Our Team
SOMA runs on people who care about getting the details right — and with an exotic pet, the details are everything, because the margin for error with a reptile or a small mammal is small. What exotic pet parents here tell us they need is a sitter who brings real clinical rigor, not just good intentions. Here is what sets us apart:
- Veterinary background. Our veterinary-informed team brings backgrounds spanning wildlife rehabilitation to exotic veterinary hospital work. Our founder, Alexandria, previously worked as an exotic veterinary assistant and volunteered with the House Rabbit Society, administering subcutaneous RHDV2 vaccines — and every pet caretaker on our team is trained under that same clinical lens.
- Species specialization. Exotic pets and cats are our whole focus — reptiles, rabbits, rodents, and birds. That kind of focus is genuinely hard to find anywhere in the city.
- Clinical-grade care. We can check a reptile enclosure’s basking temperature and humidity, dial in a UVB schedule, syringe-feed a GI stasis rabbit, weigh a guinea pig on a gram scale, and recognize the early signs of a crop issue in a parrot. We also know the local exotic vet landscape, so if something seems off while you are in another time zone, we know where to turn — see our San Francisco Bay Area exotic veterinarians directory.
- Flexible scheduling. Early-morning visits before work or a flight, evening visits after a long day, and mid-day medication timing — we build the schedule around your itinerary, not the other way around.
Exotic Species We Care For in SOMA
- Reptiles — bearded dragons, leopard geckos, crested geckos, turtles and tortoises
- Small mammals — guinea pigs, rabbits (including bonded pairs and trios), chinchillas, ferrets, hamsters, rats
- Birds — parrots, cockatiels, conures, budgies, lovebirds, finches
If your species is not listed, call or text us — if we have not handled it, we will tell you honestly and usually point you to someone who has. Reptile owners can also dig into our San Francisco reptile pet sitter page.
How It Works in SOMA
We start with a free meet-and-greet at your home — a real-time walkthrough of feeding routines, enclosure setup, UVB and heat schedules, medication timing, and your pet’s quirks. For SOMA pet parents, this usually lands on an evening or a weekend window, and since the neighborhood is compact and well served by Muni Metro, the T-line along the Embarcadero, and the Caltrain terminus at 4th & King, getting to you is easy.
Once you book, we schedule visits around your travel itinerary. Many reptiles do well with once-daily checks — confirming basking temps, misting for humidity, and spot-feeding on their species’ schedule — while guinea pigs, rabbits, and birds usually do best with twice-daily visits, morning and evening. Either way, we send photo and video updates from every visit, plus written notes on appetite, output, and behavior. If something seems off, we reach out before you land.
SOMA Areas We Serve
SOMA packs a lot into a flat, walkable footprint, and we cover all of it. That means the high-rise condos and lofts around the Embarcadero and Rincon Hill, the blocks near Oracle Park and the ballpark district, the Yerba Buena and Moscone Center core, the loft-lined streets off Folsom, Howard, Bryant, and Brannan, and the pockets near the Caltrain terminus at 4th & King. Whether you are on the fortieth floor of a glass tower or in a ground-level live/work loft, we can reach you.
Pricing for SOMA Visits
- 30-minute visits start at $85
- 60-minute visits start at $115
- Routine daily care runs $140–$190/day depending on visit length and number of pets
SOMA is within San Francisco, our home city, so there is no Peninsula travel surcharge — pricing here is simple and in-city. Text us your address and dates and we will give you a straightforward quote. You can read more about what is included on our in-home exotic pet care page.
Long days at the office, even when it’s just a few blocks from home? Many SOMA pet parents in loft and high-rise condos keep us on a recurring rhythm — weekly or every-other-week routine care visits where their caretaker handles the full habitat refresh, logs weigh-ins, and does a calm health check, so the hours you do have at home go straight to your little ones.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you cover SOMA for exotic pet care?
Yes. We are based in San Francisco's Inner Sunset, so SOMA is a quick same-city trip for us. In-home exotic care throughout South of Market — from the Embarcadero high-rises to the lofts near Oracle Park and the Caltrain terminus at 4th & King — is a regular part of what we do.
Do you specialize in reptiles for SOMA condo and loft dwellers?
Yes. Reptiles are a core part of what we do, and they suit SOMA's condo and loft living especially well. We check basking temperatures and enclosure humidity, keep UVB schedules on track, and spot-feed on your species' schedule — for bearded dragons, leopard and crested geckos, and turtles and tortoises. Share your setup at the meet-and-greet and we will match it exactly.
What kinds of exotic pets do you care for in SOMA?
Exotic pets share top billing with cats here. SOMA's condos and lofts suit the whole roster: reptiles (bearded dragons, leopard and crested geckos, turtles, tortoises), small mammals (guinea pigs, rabbits, chinchillas, ferrets, hamsters, rats), and birds (parrots, cockatiels, conures, budgies, lovebirds, finches). From a twentieth-floor high-rise to a ground-floor loft, the visit works the same. New guinea pig parents can start with our guinea pig care guide.
Can I board my exotic pet instead of booking in-home visits in SOMA?
There is a boarding option, yes — hosted personally by members of our team in their San Francisco homes at $75 per night, with your pet's usual enclosure and supplies coming along. Spots are limited, so SOMA pet parents with firm travel dates should ask early. Details are on the boarding page.
How much does a SOMA exotic pet sitter cost?
Expect $85 to start for a 30-minute visit and $115 for a 60-minute visit; pet parents traveling more than a night usually book twice-daily care, which runs $140–$190 per day based on visit length and number of pets. High-rise living does not change the price — SOMA is in-city for us, so there is no Peninsula travel surcharge; just leave access notes for your building's front desk. Text 415-484-6493 with your dates and we will quote it firm.
Ready to lock in coverage for your next trip? Call or text us at 415-484-6493 and we will get a meet-and-greet on the calendar. You can also read more about our in-home exotic pet care service, our boarding option, hosted personally by members of our team in their San Francisco homes, or browse the full FAQ page. Reptile owner? Start with our San Francisco reptile pet sitter page. Want to see the whole city we cover? Start with our San Francisco exotic pet sitter hub. Still getting set up with a vet? Our San Francisco Bay Area exotic veterinarians directory is a good place to start.